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0. F. JORDAN. v SPRING RAILWAY FROG.

No. 501,946. Patented July 25, 1893 (NoModeL) I I & sheets-Sheena;

- 0. P. JORDAN. r SPRING RAILWAY FROG. I No. 501,946. Pa,tentedJu1y 25, 1893.v

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0. P; JORDAN. v

SPRING RAILWAY FROG.

No. 501,946. Patented July 25, 1893..

' u mmsE-s AWE/11012 wigfismywp 1 aw UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OSWALD F. JORDAN, OF ST. THOMAS, CANADA.

SPRING RAILWAY-FROG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 501,946, dated uly 25, 1893.

A Application filed May 16, 1892. Serial No. 433,156. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OSWALD F. JORDAN, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at St. Thomas, county of Elgin, Province of Ontario, Canada, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Spring Railway-Frogs; and I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form apart of this specificaion.

My invention relates to spring railway frogs, and consists primarily in the employment of a hinged rail in combination with a closing spring and the main track, whereby many of the defects of the ordinary spring are entirely avoided, and also in the further construction and combination of parts more fully hereinafter pointed out.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a frog with a single spring win g rail in combination with the main track for a single crossing. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the hinge thereof, which also answers as a side elevation of the hinge and strap. Fig. 3 represents a frog with two spring wing rails, in connection with the main track. Fig. 4 is a section through the hinges, of Fig. 3, on line w as. Fig. 5 is a section through line y y of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 represents a bottom view of the blocking used in the double spring wing frog, shown in Fig. 3 showing the peculiar form of construction and the manner in which the rail flanges and the point are related thereto. Fig. 7 is a cross section on line 2 .2, Fig. 3; and Fig. Sis a cross section on line y y, of Fig. 1.

In the drawings, similar letters of reference refer to similar parts.

A represents the main rails. A, the point.

B represents the wing rail. 0, the base plate. D, the hinge. E, E, the blocking. F, F, the springs. G, G, stops.

cl, d, are the hinged straps respectively, which, as shown in Fig. 2, are bolted to the web of the rails, the hinge being so arranged that the strap attached to the main rail forms the upper knuckle of the hinge, while the strap attached to the wing rail forms, the lower knuckle.

B is the bolt or pivot of the hinge, which extends through the base plate, 0, and is fastened by a nut d at its upper end.

' d is a flange upon the upper strap, as shown in the sectional Fig. 4.

The other parts will be named in the specific description.

In constructing this rail frog, the rails on the main track- A, A, one of which runs to the point A, and the other of which extends to the hinge, are solidly bolted or riveted through the flanges thereof to the base plate 0, which is a heavy plate, of suflicient length and width to extend under and support the whole of the frog. By this means of construction the whole system is rigidly connected together from end to end, so that no creeping motion or motion due to expansion or contraction can derange the working parts, as is frequently the case with the ordinary spring frog.

In my construction, all of the expansionand contraction is taken up in the track on either side of the frog, while the frog itself remains practically rigid and relatively immovable in all of its parts, except in the spring wing rail itself; and I know of no other form of construction which will permit of this result of obviating all danger of the cramping of the parts, and of the remaining open of the wing rail in the manner I have stated.

Upon the outside of the Wing and main rail, there are firmly attached by bolting the hinged straps d, d. The inner ends of these hinged straps are forged into a kunckle. These knuckles, as shown in Fig. 3, extend nearly to the outer edge of the base plate, the lower one of which rests thereon. The strap attached to the wing rail carries the under knuckle which thus directly rests upon the plate. The strap upon the main rail has its knuckle resting on the knuckle of the strap on the wing rail. This form and arrangement of the knuckles are important, as the resistance of the wing rail to any displacing action is thereby much increased. Through the plate and both of the projections passes the bolt B, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4.. The upper portion of the knuckle at d is cut out, the nut of the bolt thus resting in a recess of a depth equal to its thickness. The object of this is to guard the nut-and the end of the The bolt passes bolt from accidental blows.

through the. base plate, and thus keeps the knuckles and plate closely together at all times. Opposite the joint of the hinge, the main rail is cut at an angle sloping from the outside backward on the inside, looking from the outer end of the wing rail. The end of the wing rail is fashioned to fit this joint tightly when the wing rail is snug up against the main rail. The outer side of'the wing rail carries a housing f, in which is inclosed a spiral spring, the outer end of this spring being engaged by a washer, and held by a bolt passing through the web of all of the contiguous rails out through a similar spring and" housing upon the opposite side. By screwing up the nut on the end of this belt, both springs are drawn: to an equal tension, and each spring is opposed to the other; This is not new, and needs no detailed description.

The wing rail is controlled and limited to its outward motion by means of a stop or stops; each of which consists in a'T, the cross bar of which is firmly bolted-or rivetedith-rough the web of the main rail. The web of the wing rail is slotted to receive: the arm of the T, it passing somewhat loosely through the slot, and' being held at its outer'end by the bolt-g; Each of these slots-is similarly constructed, and the description of one suffi'ces for al l.- It will be seen that thewing'railthus moves outwardly, is limitedinits motion by the bolt of the stop G. The stop also-tends to prevent'the wing rail from turning under .the blows of the wheel flanges. It. will be noticed that the joint between the wing rail and the. main rail is located at a point'between theibiends of the main rail and the frog; point. This is important, as it shortens and saves lengthsof both plate and blocking, enables the wing rail to operate with greater certainty, Wi tlI less liability to derangement, as the co m- -parative' shortness of the wing rail creates greater resistance to the overturning tendencyof the flange of the wheels. striking it in passing.

Theblock E in Fig. 3' is peculiarly construictedi It extends from a pointan-liittledi'stance back alon'g'thetmain railfrom the joint,

as shown at e, and fills the space between the webs of the railsat that point, as shown in f' the section through the'h-inge inLFig. 4. The upper surface: of it isbrought to a horizontal surface just under the width of the flange of the whee-Iss0 that. they will not touch the block, while the wheelis rolling: I upon the rail. At} the outer end of the block, there is an undercut upon each side, which permits the flanges of the rails to pass under. the block. This undercut extends: forward toward the point a short distance: beyond the joint of the wing rail with the main rail; so as to permit the flangeof the wing railto also extend under the blocking. This extension of the flange of thewing. rail under the blocking, in combination with the broad bearing surface made by the hinge, makes an ex tremely strong construction, and make it very difflcult to detach the wing rail from its place through accidental blows, or any tendency to overturn it. Forward of this point, where the blocking is cut out to receive theflange of the wing rail, the flanges of the wing rails are cut out, as shown at e',,and the block thenceforward rests with its full face, except as hereinafter stated, solidly upon the base plate.

3 andis firmly fastened thereto by rivets e as shown in Figs. 3 and 6. The end of the block is split or opened to receive the point A of ;the main rail, and at this point the flange of the main rail is retained and the block is also undercut so as to permit this flange to have a bearing surface upon the base plate. This strengthens the point, and also tends to prevent it from. turning or moving. The point is alsopreferably ri'gidly'fa'stened in the block by means of a-bol't orrivetpassingtransversely I through it and the'two wingsofi a block, as 1 shown i-nYFig..3.v As the block is oi? the same 1 height throughout, it will be seen thatitconnects the main raii l s from apoiinlt beyond the hinge or hingeswiitha the. main: rail at the point 1 Ai,-and even in. case-the wing rail or railswere enti-rely thrown: out, the flangesv of the wheel iriding over'the openings would: beheld up ;until the wheel had reached the main. rail 1 beyond the opening thus left. This is animportant point, because it is not an extremely unusual thing forthe wing rait to be thrown out, either by means of hollow wheels or by a the train.

It will be: seen. that in. my improved form, having a very short section; of

' rail, it could be thrown out in the manner specified andi the dropping of thewheel would i be wholly prevented, and the train: would pass over the track without even a perceptible jar.

' Having thus described my inventiomwhat I claim is"- 1. In a: spring railfrog, the combinationof main rail, a point rail,.a blocking transversely filling'the spacebetweenthe pointrail and the wing rail": and. extending longitudii nally between a-ntconnecting byappropriate means the main and pointrails, substantially as described.

2. The combination of a spring actuated pivotedwing rail, a main rail,-a-pointrail, a base plate connectingv and supporting the: whole, a I blocking transversely-filling the spacebetween the wing and point rails, and extending longitudinally between and connecting the main andpoint rails, substantially as described-.-

3. The combination of aspring actuated pivoted win grai1, a main rail, apoint rail, abase {plate connecting and supporting the whole a blocking transversely filling the space between the wingrail, point and main rails, and longitudinally extending from the main rail to the point rail, and having its lower portion cut out, whereby the flange of the wing rail is held and allowed to Work underneath the blocking; and a laterally extended knuckle of the hinge on the opposite side of the wing rail, substantially as described. I 4. In a spring frog for railways, in combination with the main rail and forming an ex tension thereof, a spring actuated wing rail pivoted to the main rail at a point between the bends of the main rail and the frog point, substantially as described. 

